Basketball: OUA East women's awards

Player of the year — Toronto G Alaine Hutton (Hamilton). The senior guard is a main reason why U of T is poised to make its second Final 8 trip in four years; Hutton has averaged 17.8 points for Varsity, which plays Ottawa in a game to go to nationals tomorrow night.

Joy Bellinger Award of Merit — Amanda McConnell, F, Laurentian (Regina, Sask.). McConnell, who lost her mom to breast cancer four years ago, was integral in a number of fundraising efforts for cancer treatment and research at the Sudbury school.

Coach of the year — Ottawa's Andy Sparks. The proof is in the record; Sparks made Ashbury College a provincial girls powerhouse and has carried that over to Ottawa, which has thrown off the yoke of last season's 3-19 catastrophe and gone 15-7 this season. A lot of credit goes to his staff, including assistants such as Mario Gaetano and Moriah Trowell, the former all-Canadian who was one of the veterans who left the Gee-Gees in 2007-08.

Defender of the year — Tanya Perry, G, Carleton (Barrie, Ont.) Ask anyone who watched a Ravens game this season; she was all over the court.

Rookie of the year — Abby Edmison, F, RMC (Carleton Place, Ont.) Edmison avergaged 7.0 points and 6.5 rebounds for a Paladins team which snapped its 128-game losing streak this season.